Napkin-holder.



N0. 689,8". Patented Dec. 24, l90l. A. H. BROWNLEY.

(No Model.)

A A A A A A A A A9.

IN vE/vTon- I fllaraiz dpiui ffiiwzari fey- WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER HARRISON BROWNLEY, OF ONEHUNGA, NEW ZEALAND.

NAPKlN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 689,811, dated December 24, 1901.

Application filed January 24, 1901. Serial No. 44,574. (No model.)

This invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting table-napkins over a persons clothing to protect the same at the front while eating and also adapted to hold a napkin in folded condition on a table, thus dispensing with the usual napkin-ring; and

the object is to provide a device of this charactor that may be quickly applied to the napkin and to clothing without danger of cutting or tearing the same and that may be as ornamental as desired.

I will describe a napkin-holder embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel is a plan view of a napkin-holder embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is.an end view, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The napkin-holder comprises a clothing-engaging device 5 and a napkin-engaging device 6'. The clothing-holding device consists of two jaws 7 and 8, provided with teeth at their engaging ends, and these jaws are pivoted on a pin 9, which passes through inwardly-extended cars at the ends of the jaw portions, and the said jaw portions are held yieldingly together by means of a spring 10, coiled around said pin and'engaging at one end with one jaw and at the other end with the other jaw. Extended upward and outward from the upper ends of the jaws are the finger-pieces 11 12, which may be made as ornamental as desired. I have here shown them as representing clover-leaves; but it is I to be understood that other designs may be employed. p

The napkin-engaging device comprises two jaws 13 and 14:, the end of the jaw 13 being extended upward and provided with a smooth upper edge, as at 15, while the end of the jaw ed teeth 16.

14 is turned downward to engage against the inner side of the portion 15, and this downwardly-extended end is provided with round- By this arrangement while the napkin will be firmly clamped there will be no danger of tearing or cutting the same. The jaws are mounted on a pivot-pin 17, around which a spring 18 is coiled, one end engaging with one jaw, while the other end of the spring engages with the other jaw, thus holding the engaging ends of the jaws yieldingly together. The shank portion of the jaw 13 has swinging connection with the pin 9. As here shown, the pin 9 is provided with a hook l9, engaging in an eye 20, formed in said shank of the jaw 13. The jaw 14 is provided with a rearwardly-extended fin ger-piece 21. It will be seen that the clamping or en gaging portions of the two jaws or of the parts 5 and dare arranged at right angles one with the other, although by means of the connections 19 and 20 the two members may swing one relatively to the other.

When the device is to be used to protect a persons clothing, the part 5 is to be engaged with the napkin. When used to hold the napkin while folded upon the table, the portion 6 is to be engaged with the folded napkin, as indicated in Fig. 1, and, if desired, the part 5 may be engaged with the table-cloth. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A napkin-holder, comprising a member adapted to be attached to the clothing or like, a member adapted to be engaged with the napkin, each of said members consisting of pivoted and spring-pressed jaws, the jaws of one member being normally at right angles to the jaws of the other member, and a universal-joint connection between the pivot of one member and one jaw of the other member, as set forth.

2. A napkin-holder, comprising a member consisting of jaws adapted for engagement with a napkin, one of the jaws being provided with an opening in its shank, a member adapted for connection with clothing or the like,

and consisting of two jaws, a pin on which said jaws are mounted, a ring formed on one end of said pin for engaging in the opening formed in the jaw of the napkin-engaging member, and divergent finger-pieces on the withan eye engaging-"the opening in the shank clothing-engaging member, substantially as of the jaw of the napkin-holding member specified.

3. A napkin-holder, consisting of a napkin- 5 holding member formed of two pivoted and spring-pressed jaws, one jaw being provided with a finger-piece and the other with'an opening in the end of its shank, and a clothing-engaging member formed of two pivoted and spring-pressed jaws, each-provided with a diverging finger-piece, the pivot of the said jaws having one end extended and formed whereby the members can swing one upon the other, substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER HARRISON BROWNLEY;

Witnesses:

F. DILLINGHAM, W. T. DAVIDGE. 

